Prime Minister Should Enhance age of Superannuation of Medical Scientists of ICMR

The move will bring equity at par with medical doctors in other organizations

New Delhi, February 9, 2018: In a letter to the Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, the President Heart Care Foundation of India has put forth a strong case for increasing the retirement age of medical scientists in Government Health Research Organizations to bring equity at par with medical doctors at other organizations – one of them being the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and the other being CSIR.

ICMR is an autonomous body and was established by the GOI, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare for the formulation, coordination and promotion of biomedical research. This medical research body is more than 100 years old and aims to bring modern health technology to people by translating medical innovations into products/ processes in prevention and care.

Speaking about this, Padma Shri Awardee Dr K K Aggarwal, President Heart Care Foundation of India (HCFI) said, “It is high time that thesuperannuation age of medical doctors working in various health research organizations such as ICMR and Council of Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) is enhanced. Some facts should be considered before the premise is built for this request. These are detailed below.”

• The Union Cabinet took a decision on 27^th September 2017 for enhancing the superannuation age of doctors under the administrative control of the respective Ministries / Departments (M/o AYUSH i.e. AYUSH Doctors), Department of Defence (civilian doctors under Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Service), Department of Defence Production (Indian Ordinance Factories Health Service Medical Officers), Dental Doctors under Department of Health & Family Welfare, Dental Doctors under Ministry of Railways and of doctors working in Higher Education and Technical Institutions under Department of Higher Education) to 65 years.”

• The Union Cabinet also took a decision for ex-post facto enhancement of superannuation age of doctors working in Central Universities and IITS (Autonomous Bodies) under Department of Higher Education to 65 years and superannuation age of doctors in Major Port Trusts (Autonomous Bodies) under Ministry of Shipping to 65 years.

• The Union Cabinet has approved that doctors shall hold the administrative posts till the date of attaining the age of 62 years and thereafter their services shall be placed in non-administrative positions.

• Apart from this, the age of superannuation of the specialists of Non-teaching and Public Health sub-cadres of Central Health Service (CHS) and General Duty Medical Officers of CHS has been enhanced to 65 years by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare vide order No. 12034/1/2014-CHS-V dated 31 May 2016. The Ministry of AYUSH has enhanced the age of superannuation of AYUSH doctors under the Ministry of AYUSH and working in CGHA Dispensaries / Hospitals to 65 years with effect from 27 September 2017 vide order bearing no. F.No. D14019/4/2016E1 (AYUSH) dated 24 November 2017.

Adding further, Dr Aggarwal, who is also Editor in Chief IJCP Publications said, “In view of above facts, we request you to kindly look into the matter and enhance the superannuation age of Medical Scientists/Doctors working as Clinicians/ Teachers/ Specialists in ICMR and CSIR and / or in any other similar autonomous body / State Government / Department / Ministries of the Central as well State Government in larger public health interest.”

Such a move will not only help attract scientific manpower but also help all such research institutions to harness the expertise of scientists for a longer duration.